


cat’s eyes and rosebuds

by mimiwrites



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Action, Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Modern with Magic, Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Fluff, Getting Together, M/M, Magic, Monster Hunters, Monsters, Rating is subject to change, Urban Fantasy, Witches, mythical creatures, witchy kinda slutty kuroo
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-21
Updated: 2020-11-27
Packaged: 2021-03-06 22:29:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,394
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26026480
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mimiwrites/pseuds/mimiwrites
Summary: The Ailing Leech was a popular bar among magical folk, and Kuroo Tetsurou was the mountebank. Most patrons called him Doc, because he could fix up alcoholic potions to cure any ailment, or induce any feeling. He also sold stronger potions under the table, the kind that could ruin someone’s night and that the Ministry absolutely did not tolerate. That’s how Yaku Morisuke had found out about him, and he’d been coming back for years.
Relationships: Kuroo Tetsurou/Yaku Morisuke
Comments: 20
Kudos: 40





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [glass_fossa](https://archiveofourown.org/users/glass_fossa/gifts).



> happy birthday my jenn <3 ilysm

A young witch made his way through the neon tapestry of downtown Tokyo. Nobody took notice of him, or gave him odd glances for his red hooded cloak or platform boots. Everyone in this part of the city dressed in varying degrees of eccentricity, and so he was able to slip between the crowd without incident. With everyone claiming to be a witch or a vampire, it was easy to blend in. 

The lights dimmed down into the background as he got to his destination; a small, 24-hour bodega surrounded by shops already closed up for the night. A bell rang as he pushed his way inside, and he met the omniscient eyes of a calico cat. An old man snored softly behind the counter where the cat lay, merely just a puppet for any humans who might actually stumble inside. The witch nodded at the cat, and walked toward the old retro refrigerator at the back wall of the small store. He grabbed the handle, and gently pushed just a bit of magic into it. After hearing a click, he pulled it open to reveal a descending staircase. Music grew louder with each step he took down until he finally reached the bottom. 

The Ailing Leech was a popular bar among magical folk, and Kuroo Tetsurou was the mountebank. Most patrons called him Doc, because he could fix up alcoholic potions to cure any ailment, or induce any feeling. He also sold stronger potions under the table, the kind that could ruin someone’s night and that the Ministry absolutely did not tolerate. That’s how Yaku Morisuke had found out about him, and he’d been coming back for years.

For all that they had argued and fought in the beginning, Yaku could never find a fault in Kuroo’s potion making. It was only after sharing a couple drinks one night, they’d both helped to break up a fight, that they realized they actually share the same ideology concerning the magical world. Neither of them agreed with the corrupt Ministry, and they both dreamed of a future where they wouldn’t have to hide anymore. That night, they parted ways with a newfound respect for one another. 

Their relationship now, while still slightly antagonistic, was a bit more friendly and playful. Yukie, a werewolf who often frequented the bar, told Yaku that it was flirting. He would deny it wholeheartedly. 

It wasn’t because he found Kuroo unattractive. In fact, Kuroo was pretty infuriatingly attractive, with his long legs and cheeky grin and bright eyes. There were even times that he had let himself muse over the idea, of them. He’d shake himself out of it before he got too deep. Things like love and romance, they just didn’t fit into his lifestyle. They didn’t seem to fit into Kuroo’s, either. For the entire time he’d known him, Yaku never saw Kuroo commit to anyone. They both were faithful only to their work. 

“Yakkun,” a low voice purred, breaking him out of his own head. “My favorite customer.”

Kuroo was smirking over at him from behind the bar, his dark makeup highlighting his eyes and lips. The purple glow from the lights made his skin look effervescent, and Yaku practically didn’t notice all the other patrons around the bar. He walked over and took a seat in front of Kuroo, pulling his hood off to reveal his weary face. 

“Everything ok?” Kuroo asked. 

“Yes,” Yaku sighed, but he could tell Kuroo knew he was lying. 

“Sit tight, I’ll make you something strong,” Kuroo told him. 

Yaku watched him as he rummaged through the drawers on the back wall, pulling out different magical herbs and ingredients. He knew what Yaku liked well enough that he didn’t even bother asking him for his order, and Yaku was quietly grateful for it. His tired eyes betrayed him, as he openly stared at Kuroo’s broad back covered only in a fishnet top. The long skirt he wore reminded Yaku of black smoke, and he wondered if Kuroo had performed a spell on it to make it that way. He wouldn’t be surprised if he did. 

After a few moments, Kuroo turned around and placed a glass in front of him that had smoke pouring out of the top.

“Here, this’ll make you feel better.”

“Thanks,” Yaku muttered, and brought the drink to his mouth. It was sweet, and slightly bitter, and almost immediately he started to feel lighter and more energetic. “What do I owe you?”

“It’s on the house,” Kuroo smiled. “Now, I don’t suppose you came all the way here just for a drink and my good company?”

Yaku chuckled lightly. Kuroo knew him too well. That fact should bother him, that kind of thing was dangerous for someone like him, but it didn’t. 

“I need...something special,” Yaku started. “Something powerful.”

Kuroo gave him a quizzical look and leaned forward on his forearms. “I’m listening.”

“Well, I need to take care of a problem, a pretty big one.”

“How big?”

“Like, ten or twelve feet or so?”

Kuroo blew out a deep breath. “Okay, any specific conditions?”

“Um…” Yaku looked away, uncharacteristically hesitant. Usually, he told Kuroo exactly what he was up against. He trusted him. 

Kuroo knew this, which is why he leaned closer to look at him with concern. 

“Yakkun, what is it?”

“I don’t exactly know,” Yaku admitted. “All I know for sure is it’s big and it’s ancient. And, well, fiery.”

“Fiery?” Kuroo repeated. “I can work with that.”

“But this,” Yaku started, then shook his head. “It’s not like any fire I’ve ever seen, magical or natural.”

“How so?”

“It doesn’t behave like fire,” Yaku explained. “It burns, but it’s almost like the fire is alive, like it’s controlled. It can choose what to burn, can move in its own direction. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Kuroo brought his hand to his chin and thought to himself. Yaku took the opportunity to drink more of the concoction Kuroo had made him, and to gaze at his face. His eyes followed Kuroo’s other hand as it started to play with a crystal necklace. It looked like it could be selenite, but Yaku hadn’t studied crystal magic in ages and didn't remember what it’s properties were.

“I think I have an idea of what you need, but I’ll need some time to make it,” Kuroo finally said. 

“How long?”

“Three days.”

Yaku groaned. He wasn’t sure if he had three days. 

“I’ll pick up the ingredients first thing in the morning, but the potion needs at least two days to cook, especially if you want it to be powerful. The longer it steeps, the stronger it’ll be,” Kuroo explained. 

“Three days is fine,” Yaku sighed. “Thanks for all this. I’ll pay extra for putting you through the trouble.”

“Anything for my favorite customer,” Kuroo winked. “And it’s no extra charge.”

“But—“

“Don’t even try arguing with me on this one, Yakkun. You’re my favorite, so you get the favorite discount.”

“Doesn’t seem like a very good business practice,” Yaku muttered. 

“Oh, but it is!” Kuroo grinned. “I’m building a good relationship with my customer, and ensuring he’ll come back for further transactions.”

Kuroo didn’t need to discount him for all of that, Yaku hadn’t gone to another seller since he had bought his first potion. Kuroo was the best, and he was his favorite too. 

Before Yaku could argue further, there came a small commotion from the corner of the bar. A kitsune and a skinwalker appeared to be arguing with a couple of vampires. Drinks were spilled over the velvet couch they’d been seated on, and a glass had already shattered from being knocked to the ground. Yaku couldn’t hear, or even understand, what they were all saying, but it sounded hostile. 

“Hold on a moment,” Kuroo said sweetly, before turning toward the noise. He stood up straight, slowly brought up his hand, and snapped. 

The sound cracked like thunder, and immediately the entire room went still. The offending group looked at Kuroo with wide eyes, and Yaku smiled upon seeing fear in them. 

“Is there a problem?” Kuroo asked calmly, but danger rolled off each word. His stare was cutting, and his eyes were glowing bright orange. 

“No Doc, no problem, we were just talkin’,” the kitsune replied. He glared at the vampires, who returned it with icy stares of their own before heading back to a different table. The music rose up again, and the rest of the bar went back to their own conversations. Kuroo turned back to Yaku and smiled as if nothing had happened. Yaku admired how he could command a room, then switch back to being unassuming. 

“Hey, why don’t you come back after close,” Kuroo suggested. “We can grab dinner, or breakfast, talk more about that order of yours.”

This wasn’t the first time Kuroo had asked him out, and Yaku was sure it wouldn’t be the last. While he would always eventually decline, he didn’t mind that Kuroo kept asking. They were both waiting for the night he might finally say yes. 

“Ha, nice try,” Yaku grinned. “I’m busy tonight, maybe next time.”

“You always say that,” Kuroo sighed with mock despair. “You’re no fun, Yakkun!”

“I am, when I want to be,” Yaku returned suggestively. 

There was a glint in Kuroo’s eyes as he looked back down at him, like a star shooting across the night sky. 

“Well,” Kuroo said quietly, seduction rolling off his tongue. “Let me know when that is, and I’ll make sure I’m present for it.”

Yaku held his gaze for a few moments longer, before standing up and bringing up his hood. 

“See you in three days,” he nodded, then headed back up to the city streets.

Kuroo watched him as he went with a bewitched look in his eye. Yaku was absolutely the most peculiar, fascinating, and fun creature he had ever met. 

“Can I get my drink now?” he heard Yukie tease him from the other side of the bar. 

Kuroo shook his head and laughed. He tended to forget about his other customers whenever his favorite little witch was around. He wasn’t too worried about it, though. Everyone in this city who knew anything about real magick knew Kuroo was the best potion maker around.

“Shall I whip up some liquid Courage so you can finally ask out Kaori-chan?”

  
  
  
  


A little over an hour after Yaku had left, it was closing time. It took Kuroo another twenty minutes to actually get everyone out, especially the pixies who had gotten drunk off a blend of his Happy and Love potions. 

It was quiet now, he’d already cleaned up the mess from the disagreement earlier, having to use some of his own magic to get the stain out of the couch. Now he was wiping down the back of the bar, and thinking of his next order. He’d have to get up early to go to his grower, who lived in Miyagi, and then would have to make a few calls about getting some of the more illicit components.

He was so lost in his thoughts, he almost didn’t hear the approaching footsteps. Funny, he thought, usually Kenma didn’t let anyone in after close. 

“Sorry, we’re closed for the night,” Kuroo called without turning around. 

The steps grew louder, and were followed by the scraping sound of wood from a chair being moved out. 

“Oi, I said we’re—“ Kuroo gasped after finally turning around, and seeing a large beast in his bar. It walked on six clawed feet, was covered in dark as midnight feathers, and had a three-eyed skull in place of a head. Staring at Kuroo, it opened its fanged jaws and released a horrendous screech. 

Kuroo jumped into action, hopping down to where he kept a special reserve of pre-made potions if he ever found himself in a pinch. 

He heard it scream again and had to resist covering his ears, it was worse than a banshee. He could tell it was charging for him, its monstrous claws scraping across the floor. 

Kuroo stood up from behind the bar, wielding two potions in each hand. 

“I said we’re closed,” he repeated, then pushed his magic into the bottles and threw them at the charging beast. 

When the glass connected, it shattered into puffs of smoke, an array of pinks and purples and blues. The creature screeched and shook its head violently, the liquid sizzling into its body. When it looked back up and locked eyes with Kuroo, he knew he was in big trouble. 

Green flame erupted out of the creature’s eye sockets, and when it opened its mouth Kuroo could see more fire charging up. He blinked, then ducked just in time to dodge a fireball thrust directly at him. Wood and glass and herbs went everywhere, green fire setting the cupboard ablaze. The flames crawled around meticulously, latching onto whatever was flammable and growing even larger. Kuroo quickly crawled to where there was a hidden compartment in the wall. He placed his hand on it and a glowing symbol appeared, revealing the outline of a small door. He opened it and pulled out three more dusty bottles, then ran to hide behind one of the antique couches. He combined them as fast as he could, throwing it over the cover before it could explode on him. 

He heard the eruption followed by a grating cry. Getting on his knees, Kuroo attempted to peak over the back of the couch, but it was thrown back by enormous claws. Kuroo shouted in surprise and fell backward, unable to do anything except stare at the fiery skull mere feet from him. The creature opened its jaws and charged up another fireball. 

Before it could singe Kuroo to a crisp, it was knocked prone by a burst of blue magic looking like a lightning bolt. Yaku slid on his knees to where Kuroo was lying, frantically checking him over for any damage. His eyes were wide and glowing blue from the magic, and Kuroo had the fleeting thought that they reminded him of the glow worms he’d collected in New Zealand. The beast shook its body and stood back up, roaring violently upon seeing Yaku. 

“Friend of yours?” Kuroo asked. 

“Sorta,” Yaku replied, helping pull him to his feet. Yaku pulled more magic into his hand and threw it at the beast as they ran to find more cover behind a table that had been knocked on its side. 

The fire had spread all around the room, catching on the tapestries and rugs and couches. Yaku sent another shot at the creature and slid back behind the table as a firebolt flew past them and exploded against the wall. Yaku’s hands were still glowing blue from holding so much magic, it crawled up his arms like veins. Kuroo knew that he could only keep that up for so long before his body gave out. As Yaku continued to barrage back and forth with the beast, Kuroo wracked his brain for what to do. 

He twirled his necklace between his fingers and looked around the room frantically. His eyes darted back and forth until they landed on the fire that was making its way across the ingredient cabinets. While the fire pulled open certain drawers and consumed its continents, it seemed to be actively avoiding others. There were over a hundred drawers behind the bar, and Kuroo knew each and every one of them. 

“Be right back,” Kuroo said. “Cover me.”

“What?” Yaku shouted, but Kuroo was already running toward the bar. Yaku jumped up and shot off a few quick bolts to distract the creature. While it took notice of Kuroo, it seemed far more interested in Yaku anyway. 

It charged toward him, and he tried to stop it with more bolts, but with no time to charge his magic, they came out weak. It knocked the air out of him, and he went flying into the wall. He landed on an old jukebox, immediately setting off loud music from the speakers. 

“Okay, so that’s how you wanna play,” Yaku muttered as he slid off the machine. 

He reached into his coat and pulled out a miniature vial. Throwing it on the ground, pitch black smoke filled the room. The beast looked around, trying to see where the witch had gone. The smoke was thick, and was blocking its sense of smell on top of sight, not even its fire could cut through. It swung its large head back and forth trying to listen, but the music was too loud. It waited, tensely, as the smoke just began to clear. 

In the corner of its eyes it saw a blue glow from behind, where Yaku was crouched and charging up a bolt. As the witch pulled back his hand, the beast suddenly released a tail of fire, sending him hurtling back. 

Yaku shouted in pain, his arm burning from the surprise strike. The beast turned around to face him, keeping its tail lit and swinging. 

“Kuroo, a little help here!” Yaku called out as he scrambled on the floor.

“Just a few more moments!” Kuroo shouted back. 

Kuroo was pulling out all the ingredients he could that the fire was avoiding, thinking of about a dozen different ways he could combine them. To make it really strong he needed time, which he didn’t have, and Galanthus Nivalis, which was currently on fire. Kuroo looked around wildly before landing on an untouched vial of salamander blood. 

“Interesting,” he muttered to himself. 

Quickly, Kuroo grabbed the vial, and rushed to one of his cauldrons, luckily already over a small fire. 

“Thanks for that,” he smiled. 

Kuroo began throwing in the ingredients; salamander blood, watercap powder, feathers from various magical creatures, and Angel’s Trumpet, just for good measure. A couple explosions went off behind him as he stirred them together. 

“Keep it busy!” Kuroo called out. 

“I am trying!” Yaku yelled back angrily. 

Yaku struggled to keep up with the creature with only one fully operational hand. While its attacks did seem to be growing further and further apart, it wasn’t nearly as exhausted as Yaku was. Sweat dripped down his face and he was panting hard, partially from the heat as well as his fatigue. He wasn’t sure how much longer he could last. But he trusted Kuroo, so he’d give him as much time as he could. 

“Come on, you’re not that tough,” Yaku taunted, charging up his damaged hand and reaching back into his coat. He wasn’t finished yet, and there was no way in Hel he was going down without a fight.

Yaku tossed out another vial that erupted into a flash of bright light. The creature yelped and looked away, allowing Yaku to send a bolt directly at its head. 

It’s claws dragged across the floor as it was sent back a few feet. While it was dazed, Yaku tried to charge up again, but when he reached out to grab magic, it slipped through his fingers like water. 

“Yakkun!” Kuroo yelled, rushing over and bumping into his side. “Here.”

He handed Yaku a bottle full of a bubbling dark liquid. 

“What’s this?”

“I’m not sure, just came up with it on the fly and you two get to be my guinea pigs,” Kuroo said. 

“Great,” Yaku replied sarcastically. “What do I do?”

“Just wait for it to charge up again with one of its fireballs. Wait until the last possible moment and shoot it into its mouth with your magic,” Kuroo explained. 

Yaku groaned. That sounded like a faulty plan that relied heavily on luck, something he believed could only be manufactured. 

“Will this even work?” Yaku asked skeptically. 

“Definitely.” Kuroo said. “Hopefully.”

Yaku whipped his head around to look at Kuroo with wide eyes. 

“Just trust me,” Kuroo told him. So he did. 

The two of them stood directly across from the beast, no barriers, no coverings, no protection. If this didn’t work, it was over. 

The monster’s fiery tail swung back and forth, waiting to see if they’d make a move. When they just stood there, the beast opened its boney mouth, and a green ball ignited deep in its throat. 

Yaku watched as it grew larger and hotter, waiting until the last possible moment like Kuroo had said. After avoiding being shot by these so many times now, he was pretty sure when that moment would be. When it came, he hurled back his good hand that was carrying the potion, and sent it flying along a blue arrow. 

It went directly into the creature's mouth, and the effect was instantaneous. The fire went out in its throat and the creature screeched loudly. Yaku and Kuroo had to cover their ears and duck as every glass in the bar burst. The beast thrashed around wildly, its fire burning out then burning hot again in quick spurts. Green fire vortexed around it, enveloping its entire body. It cried out, and then all was silent. There was no beast, no fire, only a pile of ash. 

“Holy shit,” Yaku breathed out. He looked between the ash and then Kuroo, who was also staring with wide eyes. “Did you mean for that to happen?”

“Honestly, no,” Kuroo admitted. “But it worked, and I really think we should focus on that.”

Yaku chuckled softly, then winced as pain shot up his arm. The burn stung, more like it was from acid than from fire, and it went all the way from his hand to his elbow. 

“Let me take a look at that,” Kuroo said, taking his arm gently. “That looks nasty. Come on, I can fix this up at home.” 

Yaku looked around at the room, which was completely destroyed. A pang of guilt struck him in his chest. 

“Kuroo… your bar.”

Kuroo waved his hand dismissively. “It’s just stuff,” he said. “It can be replaced. You, however, cannot.”

Kuroo led Yaku to a door at the back of the bar. He placed his hand on the doorknob and closed his eyes, filling the symbols written around the frame with magic. When he opened the door, they walked through into an apartment that was in a different part of the city. 

“Lay here,” Kuroo instructed, pointing to a couch. “I’ll fix you something up for those burns.”

Yaku removed his shoes, coat, and hood, then did as Kuroo told him. As he laid down, his eyes wandered around the room. He’d never been in Kuroo’s apartment before, had never seen him outside the Leech. 

There were plants everywhere; on the floor, on the walls, on bookshelves, hanging from the ceiling. The sun was just starting to come up outside, and Yaku figured Kuroo must have chosen an apartment so high up and facing north in order to get the most light for his plants. 

There were hand woven tapestries on the brick walls, different rugs overlapping across the floor, a poorly knitted, but still soft, blanket hanging off the couch. The whole place smelled of herbs and incense, and Yaku liked it. He was always on the move and never had time to make one place a home, but this is what he imagined it would feel like. 

Yaku watched Kuroo with soft eyes as he put together, for the third time that night, another potion for him. He still felt a heaviness in his chest for what had happened. The Leech was wrecked, and Kuroo could have been seriously hurt, or worse. And it was his fault. 

After a few more minutes Kuroo came back with a glass containing a dark liquid, a small bowl filled with orange salve, and some rags and bandages. 

“Here, drink this, it’ll help with the pain,” Kuroo told him, pushing the glass in his hand. 

Yaku stared at it, the bitter scent overpowering his smell. But that isn’t why he hesitated. 

“So, was that the thing you had told me about earlier?” Kuroo asked, gently dabbing at his arm with a wet cloth. 

“Yeah,” Yaku sighed. “I found it in Russia, it had burned an entire town to the ground. I tried to take care of it there, but I guess all I managed to do was piss it off. I never expected it would follow me here.”

Kuroo hummed and continued to clean his wound, being as careful as possible. Yaku continued to swirl the potion around in the glass without drinking. 

“Kuroo, I’m really sorry.”

Kuroo halted his movements and looked up, trying to meet Yaku’s eyes that were cast down. 

“You don’t need to apologize,” Kuroo said. 

“Yes, I do,” Yaku argued. “Your business is destroyed, and you could have died, because I put you in danger.”

“But you still saved me,” Kuroo reminded him. 

“Ha, barely,” Yaku said bitterly. 

“Don’t worry, Yakkun, you’re still my hero,” Kuroo smiled. 

Yaku still wasn’t so sure. He wouldn’t have had to save Kuroo at all if he didn’t put him in danger in the first place. 

“Hey,” Kuroo said softly, placing his hand on top of Yaku’s. “It’s fine, really. It’s you. I’m just glad you’re safe, and that I can help.”

It’s you. It’s you. It’s you. 

Yaku looked up at Kuroo then, heart pounding in his chest. He wasn’t sure exactly what he was looking for in his eyes, but eventually he found it. 

Yaku hastily leaned forward and pressed his lips to Kuroo’s. It was a little rough, a little sloppy, and so quick that it was over before Kuroo fully realized what was happening. When Yaku pulled back he immediately chugged the entire contents of his glass and coughed. 

“Goddamn, what is in that?” Yaku winced. 

Kuroo blinked once, twice, then looked back down at Yaku and smiled. 

“If I tell you, I fear you’ll never drink another one of my potions again,” he said softly. 

They were both quiet as Kuroo applied the salve to Yaku’s burn. The potion had set in immediately, and already Yaku was feeling calmer. Kuroo smiled the entire time he worked, still being considerably gentle. After applying all of the salve, which was already working to repair Yaku’s damaged skin, he held Yaku’s hand in his and wrapped his arm in bandages. 

“Yakkun,” Kuroo finally said when he’d finished, not letting go of Yaku’s hand. “Did you come back to the bar because you knew that creature was there?”

Yaku looked down at their joined hands. His own was smaller and more calloused compared to Kuroo’s. He brushed his thumb back and forth along it, appreciating how soft it was. 

“No,” Yaku answered honestly. 

Kuroo hummed, and gave his hand a gentle squeeze. 

“You can stay here for the night,” Kuroo said, making to stand up. 

“Wait, where are you going?” Yaku asked hurriedly. 

“My room?” Kuroo replied in confusion. Yaku hadn’t let go of his hand. 

“Well, I mean,” Yaku started, looking at the couch. “You don’t have to, right?”

It took two strokes of the grandfather clock in the corner for Kuroo to realize what he meant. 

“You want me to sleep on the couch with you?” Kuroo didn’t mean to sound so dumbfounded, or amused, but he couldn’t help the grin that had formed on his face. 

“I mean, as you constantly love to point out, it’s not like I take up a lot of room,” Yaku grumbled. 

Kuroo wasn’t going to miss his chance, so he crawled onto the couch carefully and pulled down the blanket on top of them. Yaku rested his bandaged arm around Kuroo’s waist. For a few moments, they just looked at each other, the morning sun lighting up their faces. 

“Can I kiss you again?” Yaku asked. 

“Yes,” Kuroo sighed contentedly, like he was afraid Yaku would never ask. 

When they pressed their lips together this time, it was softer, laced with affection. Their magicks poured into each other, curling around each other like a tight embrace. They fell asleep wrapped in each other’s arms with small smiles adorning their faces, completely unaware that back at the Ailing Leech, a small six-legged creature was emerging from a pile of ash.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yaku and Kuroo return to the Ailing Leech to do damage control. Little do they know that the creature they fought the night before was much more complex than they originally thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FINALLY. CHAPTER 2. i think it’s a fun chapter, i hope y’all like it

Sunlight poured in through the curtain windows, graciously feeding the plants and warming the sleeping witches’ faces. The plants moved themselves toward the light, reaching out with leafy tendrils, one of them brushing up against its master’s face affectionately. 

Yaku woke up slowly, feeling stiff and sore. As he blinked the sleep out of his eyes and took in his surroundings he remembered; he was in Kuroo’s apartment, they fought a beast, kissed, and then fell asleep together.

He looked up at Kuroo’s face, his makeup was smudged and he looked like a beautiful wreck. Yaku smiled softly and lifted his hand to brush the bangs out of Kuroo’s eyes. In doing so, he noticed the bandages on his hand. He had completely forgotten about getting injured because, to his amazement, his arm didn’t hurt a bit. 

Yaku squirmed a bit to wrangle his other arm out from beneath Kuroo so he could unfasten the cloth, not bothering to be gentle about it. Sure enough, while there was a large burn scar on his arm, the wound was completely healed. 

“Holy shit,” he muttered in astonishment, poking at his skin. Kuroo was really something. 

“Mmph,” Kuroo mumbled into Yaku’s shoulder, woken up from all the movement. “Mornin’.” 

Kuroo turned to look up at Yaku, his eyes soft and glossy from sleep. He wore the goofiest smile on his face, that was somehow endearing despite all the smudged lipstick. 

“What?” Yaku laughed.

“I had the most amazing dream,” Kuroo said. “I think I’m still in it.”

“Oh?” Yaku leaned closer, so that their faces were only inches apart. “And what was happening in this dream?”

“I believe you were kissing me.”

Yaku leaned forward and pressed a gentle kiss to Kuroo’s lips. It still felt so new, so intoxicating, and something inside of him whispered that it always would feel that way. 

They stayed on the couch like that for a while, opening and closing their lips against each other. When Kuroo’s back made a horrible sound after Yaku had tried to get him in his lap, they both realized they should probably get up. 

“I’ll make some coffee, shower’s over there,” Kuroo yawned. 

Once clean and properly caffeinated, (how was Kuroo so good at making drinks?), they had to think about what they were supposed to do now. What are you supposed to do after you fight a monster together, destroy a very beloved bar, and make out after?

“So…” Yaku started, scratching the back of his head. “What are you gonna do?”

“Hm? Oh, about the Leech?” Kuroo sighed. “I suppose I should start getting it cleaned up. Won’t be ready for business by tonight, but at least I can see how much it’s gonna set me back.”

Yaku grimaced. It was his fault Kuroo’s bar got smashed in the first place, had he taken care of that creature sooner, or paid closer attention, none of this would have happened. 

“Let me come with you,” he offered. “I’ll, uh, help.”

“You really don’t have to.”

“Yes, I do.”

Kuroo smiled at him, affectionate and coy. The sight of it lit an unfamiliar, but not unwelcome, warmth in Yaku’s chest. 

“If you want to spend more time with me, all you have to do is ask,” Kuroo teased. Yaku rolled his eyes, but didn’t deny it. This was part of the reason he always declined Kuroo’s invitations to hang out; he knew that once he did spend some time with him, he wouldn’t ever want to stop. 

They walked back to the bar instead of taking one of Kuroo’s magical doors. He said he wanted to check on the bodega up front, since that creature likely would have had to go through there first. 

Unsurprisingly, it was a mess. Bags of chips and candy were strewn across the floor, and the fridge door had been ripped from its hinges. 

“Jeez, it could have at least tried to knock…” Kuroo muttered. 

A low yowl came from behind the counter, then a dirty and piss off looking cat came out from under some of the debris. 

“Kenma!” Kuroo exclaimed happily. “You’re ok!”

Kenma growled and hissed back at him, and while Yaku couldn’t understand him in this form, he had a pretty good idea of what he was saying. 

“I know, I know…” Kuroo muttered, scratching the back of his head. 

Kenma glanced at Yaku with calculating yellow eyes. After a few moments, he seemed to have come to a conclusion, and meowed in Kuroo’s direction. 

A light blush dusted Kuroo’s cheeks. 

“Hey!” 

The cat meowed again, and Kuroo huffed. 

“Don’t you have a little crow to be chasing?”

Kenma responded by curtly hopping off the counter and sauntering out the front door. 

“And take the rest of the week off!” Kuroo called after him. He turned back to Yaku and grabbed his hand. “Come on, we’ll sort through all this later. I want to see how many ingredients I have left.”

As it would turn out, almost nothing survived unscathed. Kuroo flipped on the overhead lights revealing just how much damage had been done to his poor bar. As expected, it was much worse than in the bodega. There were scorch marks everywhere, from the monster but also Yaku’s magic. Tables and chairs were in pieces, shards of glass littered the floor. In the center of it all was a huge pile of ash. 

“Damn…” Kuroo mumbled. 

“Maybe… some ingredients survived?” Yaku offered. “You’d managed to grab some last night, didn’t you?”

Only a handful of drawers behind the bar weren’t completely charred to bits. They weren’t worth much, and weren’t strong on their own, but it was better than nothing. Kuroo sighed and got to work, going through the draws to bag up what he could. Yaku went around the bar and put the furniture back up, using his magic to make minor repairs. 

It was when Kuroo went to open a drawer of cilantro that had only been partially burned that he noticed something was off. The drawer, though he hadn’t touched it yet, appeared to be moving. It sounded as though something were inside of it. He could hear faint crunching, not like a fire burning, but as though something were chewing. 

“Huh.” Kuroo readied some magic in his left palm and reached for the drawer. 

As soon as he opened it, something small and dark came flying out of it. It bounced around the bar top, knocking over even more glass and leaving disaster in its wake. Kuroo yelped out of surprise, grabbing Yaku’s attention. 

Yaku immediately conjured a ball of blue static to his hand and tossed it at the creature. It ran and hopped across the bar as Yaku continued to fire more shots at it, destroying the tables that were once still intact. Finally, the creature leapt into the pile of ash on the floor and Kuroo grabbed Yaku’s arms before he could get off another shot. 

“Can you stop destroying my bar for maybe two minutes?” Kuroo exclaimed. 

Yaku released his hold on his magic, the blue light dissipating from his fingertips. 

“Sorry…” he mumbled. “What is that thing?”

They both carefully walked over to the pile of ash that now had something small burrowed within it. It trembled like a leaf in the wind. The ash sank and rose in the middle rapidly, the creature clearly more startled than they were. 

“It’s ok, come on out now,” Kuroo cooed gently. “We’re not gonna hurt you.”

He kneeled to get a better look, and after a few moments a tiny face poked its head out. 

“That’s right, come on,” Kuroo encouraged with a smile. The creature sniffed the air, catching the scent of herbs in Kuroo’s hands. It crawled out further and cautiously made its way to Kuroo. 

“Oh my god…” Yaku muttered, slightly horrified. 

The creature that crawled out of the ashes was a miniature replica of the beast they had defeated last night. Or rather, thought they had defeated. Kuroo held out his hand and the creature sniffed him, before making a noise close to a chirp and rubbing its face against his fingers. 

“Do we… kill it?” Yaku asked. 

The creature startled and hid behind Kuroo. 

“Yakkun!” Kuroo gasped. “It’s just a baby! Besides, I don’t think killing it again will actually do anything.”

“Well, what do we do then?” Yaku huffed and crossed his arms. “We can’t keep it.”

Kuroo scratched the creature’s boney chin and it chirped again happily. 

“I don’t know…” he mumbled. “It’s kinda cute.”

“No.”

“We could...”

“Absolutely not.”

“I haven’t even finished my sentence yet!”

“I know what you’re going to say,” Yaku said firmly. “And the answer is no.”

“Why not?” Kuroo whined. 

“We don’t even know what it is!”

Kuroo pondered that for a moment. It was true, they had no idea what this creature was. And there was no forgetting how it had tried to kill them both last night, as well as ruin his bar, a place he had spent years of hard work to build. But it seemed so much softer now, much more innocent. 

“I know a guy, Bokuto Koutarou, he deals with magical creatures,” Kuroo explained. “We could take the baby to him, get some answers.” 

“The baby…” Yaku shook his head. But he couldn’t argue with him, didn’t want to, anyway. Not when Kuroo was looking up at him with big doe eyes, matching the look of the offending creature still in his hand. “Alright, fine. Let’s take it to your friend.”

Kuroo smiled and stood back up, and the tiny creature climbed up his arm and settled on his shoulder. It seemed to be hiding itself from Yaku’s glare. Kuroo leaned down and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.

“Aw, don’t be so mad. It’ll be fun.”

“Yeah, sure,” Yaku grumbled sarcastically, but he didn’t pull away when Kuroo intertwined their fingers and tugged him out the door. 

  
  
  


If Kuroo didn’t know where they were going, Yaku was sure he would have never found this place. He’d taken him to an old forest, full of dense trees that blocked out the sun. Bokuto’s sanctuary was very well hidden, not just from non-magical humans, but even Yaku had a hard time making out the well disguised ward. He didn’t even notice it until Kuroo was walking through it, disappearing into thin air as he stepped into the mouth of a large cave. 

Behind the ward wasn’t a cave at all—it was a mountaintop. It was so high up that it was above soft cream clouds. Magical beasts roamed around freely, some coming up to sniff the new guests. Griffins, jackalopes, kotobuki, dragons, kirin, as well as some creatures Yaku had never even seen. 

“Hey! Kuroo! Hey!” came an excited, booming voice. The owner of the voice had practically sprinted over to them, causing Yaku to brace for impact in case the guy didn’t stop. He was covered in muscle and scars, his eyes gold and inviting. There were large canines poking out of his grin, but it wasn’t menacing in the slightest. Yaku couldn’t tell if the feathers sticking out of his hair were a part of him or from the creatures he kept. 

“Hey, Bo,” Kuroo smiled, embracing him warmly. 

“Oh?” Bokuto cocked his head to the side. “You brought me a witch?”

“I’m Yaku Morisuke,” he introduced himself, before Kuroo could say something embarrassing. 

“Oh!” Bokuto’s eyes lit up. “So you’re Yakkun!”

Yaku glared at Kuroo, who seemed to have found the sky very interesting at that exact moment. 

“Actually,” Kuroo coughed, holding out his open palm, “We came about this.”

Bokuto awed at the creature and bent down to get a closer look. It backed up further in Kuroo’s hand, like it was shy. 

“What is it?” Bokuto asked, fascinated. 

“We were hoping you could tell us,” Yaku replied. 

Bokuto reached his hand out towards it, and it looked up at Kuroo with questioning eyes. 

“It’s okay,” Kuroo cooed gently. 

At that it hopped into Bokuto’s hand and crawled up his arm enthusiastically. Bokuto laughed as it ran across his shoulders and then burrowed into his hair, singeing it where it’s fire touched. 

“Curious little thing, aren’t they?” Bokuto pulled it out of his hair to get a better look. 

“So, do you know what it is?” Kuroo asked, scratching the creature’s chin. 

“I’ve never seen anything like this,” Bokuto admitted. “It must be the last of its kind.”

“You sure?” Yaku asked skeptically. “Maybe you just haven’t seen one before.”

“Not a chance,” Bokuto shook his head. “I know about every living creature there is to know about, even the rarer ones.” 

Yaku sighed defeatedly. “So there’s no hope of finding out more.”

“I didn’t say that,” Bokuto smiled. “See, I work with creatures that aren’t extinct yet, and I’m trying to keep ‘em that way. But Akaashi will definitely know.”

“Akaashi?” Yaku repeated. 

“Yup!” Bokuto began to walk away and beckoned them to follow. “Akaashi loves to study all that old stuff. If anyone can help, it’s him!”

He led them up a winding staircase that wrapped around the trunk of a large tree. Fairy lights hung around the branches, accompanied by various winged magical creatures. 

Inside the hollowed top of the trunk was a study filled with more tomes than surely any one person could read. Books and scrolls lined the walls, more were strewn about the floor and atop a large desk. Seated there was Akaashi, who despite the mess still gave off an enchanting air. His appearance was much more put together, adorned in a fine, deep purple robe and jewels. As they got closer, Yaku noticed a third eye lay closed upon his forehead. 

“Akaashi!” Bokuto shouted enthusiastically. “I brought friends!”

“Ah, Kuroo-san, it’s been a while,” Akaashi nodded politely. He looked over at Yaku curiously. He’d only ever seen Kuroo come alone. 

“This is Yakkun!” Bokuto shouted before Yaku could get the words out of his mouth. “And this,” he held out his arm so that the little beast could run down and plop onto the desk, “is their baby.”

“It’s not our baby,” Yaku grit out, his cheeks going warm. 

“Think you could help us figure out what they are?” Kuroo asked. 

Akaashi hummed to himself as he watched the baby run around. It spit out a few sparks, catching the edge of a scroll on fire. Akaashi placed his hand over it to put it out, then gently picked up the creature to inspect it closer. 

“Interesting,” he said, mostly to himself. “Never seen you before. What’s your name?”

The baby cocked their head to the side and chirped. 

“Where did you find your little friend?”

“Russia,” Yaku said. “Though, it was a hell of a lot bigger then. Stronger, too.”

“Naughty kid blew up my bar,” Kuroo smiled. 

Bokuto’s eyes went wide, understanding what that meant for his friend. He put a hand on his shoulder comfortingly. “What happened?”

“I was hired to capture and destroy it in Russia, but it was too strong for me,” Yaku explained. “I went to Kuroo for help and it followed me. We thought we had defeated it, but then we found ‘em hiding in its own ashes this morning.”

Yaku didn’t notice how both Bokuto and Akaashi shot their eyes towards Kuroo when he spoke.

“Damn near killed us,” Kuroo added, an attempt to smooth some feathers. “Anyway, think you could help us figure out what it is?”

Akaashi thought to himself for a moment, looking around at all the tomes in his study. 

“Yes, I think I can,” he nodded. 

Akaashi pulled out a large, leather bound book from beneath the desk. It sent dust and pixie starstuff flying when he dropped it on top, causing the baby creature to cough. He called for it and held it gently in his hand, placing the other above the book. 

As Akaashi began to chant a spell, the room grew impossibly darker around them. The pages of the book flew open as magic filled the room, light pouring from his fingertips. It was nearly suffocating, and Yaku had a hard time staying on his feet. The third eye on Akaashi’s forehead was wide open now, the iris similar to that of an opal. 

The pages suddenly stopped turning, and the rest of the room quieted back down to its usual state. Akaashi’s mind eye closed shut as his other two scanned the page. 

“Ah, here we are.”

“See!” Bokuto smiled proudly toward Kuroo and Yaku. “Told ya he could do it.”

“Hm… very interesting…” Akaashi mumbled. 

Yaku looked at the page, but couldn’t understand the symbols written. There was however a grotesque looking artwork of the thing, standing over thousands of skulls in the depths of hell. The creature plopped down onto the page and looked at its image, then hopped up and down excitedly as it looked up at Kuroo. 

“What’s its name?” Kuroo asked. 

“Oh, I wouldn’t dare say it out loud,” Akaashi said. “This is a cursed language, speaking it here would only cause trouble.”

“But can you read it?” Yaku pressed. 

“Of course.”

They all looked at him expectantly as he stared back at them.

“Ah, right now. Well…” Akaashi’s eyes scanned the page. “The species is not far off from an undead phoenix, probably a cousin of some kind. An ancient hound of hell, with regenerative properties. Once they die, they rebirth within 12 to 24 hours.”

“So there’s no way to destroy it, then?” Yaku questioned. 

Kuroo smacked him. 

“Wait,” Bokuto muttered, his voice low. “You’re not planning on killing it, are you?”

As he spoke, he seemed to grow taller, bigger. His fangs protruded from his mouth and his eyes grew bright and hard. The feathers in his hair puffed out as well, and Yaku immediately got the feeling of being face to face with a predator. 

“No, no, of course not!” Kuroo interjected quickly. “We just wanna know how to take care of it!”

At that, Bokuto immediately calmed down and seemed to return to his usual self. Yaku let out a small breath of relief. 

Akaashi eyed them warily. He didn’t trust Yaku, didn’t know him enough to. But he trusted Bokuto, who trusted Kuroo, despite him being a pain in the ass. 

“Well… I guess I can help with that,” he relented. 

“Great!” Kuroo grinned. “Does it say anything about what we should feed it?”

“This isn’t a child rearing book, Kuroo-san.”

“Maybe I can help!” Bokuto offered. “Going off what you’ve told me, I’d probably do a diet of plants and insects. Try basil, flobberworms, blackberries, dandelions, and… probably a healthy dose of hot chillies.”

“Ya know,” Kuroo brought his fingers to his chin. “I did notice how its fire seemed to go after certain ingredients in my stock. I’ll have to get more, but I could throw those in too.”

“Why do we have to worry about feeding it?” Yaku grumbled. “It’s not like it can die anyway.”

“That's not entirely true,” Akaashi said. “It can be done, it’s just extremely difficult and requires an incredible amount of magic. Probably a dozen peoples’ worth. The species was hunted to extinction, after all. Harvested for their regenerative magic. Honestly, I’m surprised you managed to get her to regenerate at all.”

“Her?” Kuroo and Yaku asked in unison. 

Akaashi blinked at them like it was obvious. 

“Oh, did I not mention that?”

“A baby girl…” Kuroo cooed, making doe eyes at the creature. 

“Congrats!” Bokuto cheered, smacking Kuroo on the back. 

“I wonder what it was doing in Russia,” Yaku mused aloud. 

“You said someone hired you?” Akaashi asked. “What exactly did they tell you?”

“I was contacted by the leader of a small village, they said a beast had been terrorizing their town and they needed help. Even offered to pay me in gold, which…” Yaku sighed, realizing he should’ve noticed something wasn’t right sooner. “Was way more than they could definitely afford.”

“You think they have a patron or something?” Kuroo asked. 

“There’s definitely something bigger going on,” Bokuto said quite seriously, causing them all to listen at full attention. “Akaashi said they were harvested for their magic. I’ll bet the village was just a cover, and they’ve really got a hideout somewhere nearby. Probably wanted you to destroy her so she’d be easier for them to recover in this weakened form. Whoever they are, they’ll definitely want her back.”

They all stood in silence, absorbing what Bokuto had just said. There’s no way that the people who hired Yaku will just leave them be. Harvesting magical creatures was outlawed internationally, but that didn’t mean there wasn’t a market for it. Private investors would pay a pretty penny for something like this if word got out, and it was clear that whoever had her before was harvesting her over and over again. They were most likely studying her, probably even selling her parts on a black market.

It was clear to Yaku now that he’d been called in because she’d managed to escape her captors, and went on a rampage once she’d broken out. Confused, frightened, and angry is how Yaku found her, and for whatever reason, she followed him home. Now, it seemed, he was stuck with her. 

“We can’t give her back to them,” Kuroo said. 

“No, we can’t,” Yaku agreed. He may not like the thing, but he wasn’t completely heartless. 

She looked up at them with innocent eyes, unaware of the peril looming over her. Kuroo reached out his hand and she climbed up to his shoulder, nuzzling his neck affectionately. 

“I trust you guys will take good care of her,” Bokuto smiled. 

“Thanks…” Yaku muttered sarcastically. Truthfully, he didn’t have as much confidence. He’d never even had a pet before, and would much prefer a cat than an undead hell hound. 

As Bokuto walked them back toward the entrance, he and Kuroo talked excitedly about how to take care of the little beast. He even gave them a bag of homegrown chilli peppers to feed her. Yaku was far less excited to be charged with their new ward, but he was too grateful for Bokuto and Akaashi’s help to grumble about it. 

“Good luck, guys!” Bokuto called to them as they stepped through the ward. “And don’t forget to name her!”

  
  
  


“Koko.”

“No.”

“Moka.”

“No.”

“Miruku.”

“Kuroo, are you serious?”

“Of course I’m serious!” Kuroo whined. 

They were walking up an alley downtown, secluded enough that regular folk wouldn’t walk by and suddenly see a fire breathing, skull faced hell demon. Kuroo was holding their little chick close to his chest, tucked away inside of his leather jacket. She’d fallen asleep earlier, and was just beginning to blink her eyes open. She yawned cutely and a little puff of fire came out. “She needs a proper name.”

“How about Kirai,” Yaku mumbled. 

Kuroo gasped and shielded the creature from him. “You’re horrible, Yakunan!”

Yaku laughed at the nickname, putting a fondness in Kuroo’s eyes. 

“Names are very important,” he continued, looking at her again. “She needs something that’ll fit her. Something like… Haru.”

At that name, she finally perked up and chirped happily in response. 

“Oh? Do you like that name, Haruchan?”

She chirped again, and so it was settled. 

“Great,” Yaku drawled, but he couldn’t keep all the softness out of his tone. “Now we have to keep it.”

“Don’t listen to him, Haruchan,” Kuroo cooed. “He’s just jealous that he won’t be getting all of my kisses, anymore.”

“Only a day, and I’ve already been replaced…”

“Don’t worry, Yakkun,” Kuroo leaned down and pressed their lips together. It sent a pleasant shock through Yaku’s system, the magic in his soul burning bright. He kept forgetting that they could do this now. “I still have lots of love to give you.”

Yaku leaned in for another kiss. It annoyed him to hell and back that he had to stand on his toes to do it, and still wasn’t tall enough. He saw Kuroo’s smirk when he noticed, and roughly pulled him back down to kiss the smug look off his face. 

“Do we really have to go back to the Leech?” Yaku asked against his lips. “Can't we just go back to your place?” He nibbled on Kuroo’s bottom lip to get his point across. 

Kuroo nearly lost feeling in his legs at that. He pressed two more kisses to Yaku’s mouth before standing up again, albeit shakily. “I just want to grab a couple of things, for the baby,” he said. “It’ll be quick, promise.”

Yaku glared at Haruchan, who was peeking her head out from Kuroo’s jacket. The little shit was definitely mocking him.

They stopped in front of a part of the wall that had graffiti on it. A large, grey oozing monster covered in pink eyes. Kuroo placed his hand on the wall and muttered a spell quietly, his eyes and fingertips lighting up a faint orange. When he finished, the outline of a door was suddenly visible on the bricks.

“How many secret entrances to this place do you have?” Yaku asked as he followed him inside.

“If I told you, they wouldn’t be secret,” Kuroo winked. 

Before Yaku could quip back a retort, Kuroo was holding his hand to Yaku’s chest to keep him from going any further. Confused, he followed Kuroo’s gaze to some glowing spellwork that was drawn in chalk on the floor. A simple trap spell, usually used at entryways to catch potential robbers. But Kuroo was looking at it as if it were a dark alchemy symbol.

“What’s the matter?” Yaku asked. “Just disable it.”

“That’s not one of mine,” Kuroo said carefully.

They shared a look for only a moment before they were dodging a bolt of magic aimed directly at them. 

“You have got to be kidding me!” Kuroo growled. At this rate, there would be nothing left of the Ailing Leech by the following morning. Haruchan poked her head out from his jacket at the commotion, and the three uninvited guests all whipped their heads in her direction. 

“There it is!” one of their attackers shouted. “Grab it!”

A large mage stepped forward, covered in tattooed spellwork. She towered in height over even Kuroo, whom she was headed straight for. Her fists began to glow as she chanted under her breath.

Kuroo wasn’t much of a fighter, he preferred to be on the defense or behind his bar. That did not mean he couldn’t fight, though. He wasn’t great at spelless magic like Yaku was but he didn’t get this far in life without being a little scrappy.

Kuroo reached into one of his pockets and pulled out a small vial. As soon as he closed his fist it became dust, which he then blew into the attacker’s face. The purple cloud grew bigger and bigger, surrounding her head and going darker in color. She struggled to get out of it, coughing and waving her hands around wildly to disperse it.

Another person stepped forward, a mouthless woman wearing a cloak and wielding two scimitars. She bolted towards Kuroo with impressive speed, but Yaku blocked her with a bolt of his own magic.

He still hadn’t fully replenished from the previous night, so he couldn’t be as reckless with his casting here. He probably had only half a dozen bolts left in him, so he’d have to use them carefully. He’d have to come up with a plan quickly too, because now the astomi was twirling her crooked sabres towards him. 

She charged at him, slicing with practiced excellence, forcing him to spin and dodge out of her way. She didn’t give him a second to breathe or even think, relentless with her attacks. 

As Yaku dealt with the astomi, Kuroo still had the other two attackers to worry about. With the tall mage momentarily blinded, he swept his leg under hers and she came crashing down to the floor hard. With one attacker knocked prone, he made a dash for the other, hoping that they were physically weaker since they seemed to be standing back to call the shots. 

Before he could get to them, they elongated their neck like a snake and wrapped it around his entire body. 

“You’re… a rokurokubi?” Kuroo grimaced as they tightened around him. 

“That’s right,” they smirked. “Now, hand it over.”

Kuroo struggled in their grip, and they retaliated by squeezing him tighter. He wheezed as all the air was forcibly pushed out of him. 

“Looks like you’re a little tied up.” Kuroo would’ve rolled his eyes if he wasn’t so focused on trying to breathe. “No worries, I can get it myself.”

They reached out their hand to grab Haruchan, but she leapt out of their reach before they could get the chance. The rokurokubi loosened their grip on Kuroo to run after her, but Kuroo grabbed them by the neck and used all his weight to spin and throw them to the ground. 

The tattooed mage was now on her feet as Kuroo’s spell disappeared. She growled and shot huge bursts of magic at Haruchan as she ran across the bar floor. 

“Shit,” Yaku muttered, trying to keep tabs on what was happening with Kuroo and Haruchan while also fending off his own attacker. 

The astomi brought down both of her scimitars on Yaku, who only just had the time to chant a quick shield spell. It exploded upon impact, sending them both tumbling back, with Yaku face down on the floor. He heard the astomi’s footsteps approaching him, so he grabbed a fistful of ash that Haruchan had left behind and threw it in her face.

He meant only to impair her vision, but the astomi thrashed around wildly and collapsed to the floor. The ash smelled strongly of brimstone and rotting meat, filling her nostrils and overloading her senses. With her down for the count, Yaku could focus on the tattooed mage. 

She was still firing off haphazardly as Haruchan jumped across the room, zig-zagging as each bolt nearly made contact. Yaku rushed after her and grabbed her as quickly as he could without getting hit.

“God, will you stop moving around so much!” he yelled as she squirmed in his hand. He shoved her into his coat pocket, praying for her sake that she’d stay there.

Now that he had Haruchan, the tattooed mage was directing her brutal attacks toward him. 

“Hand it over!” the mage demanded.

“Fuck you!” Yaku shouted back.

Yaku reached into the magic and pulled out what he could. It wasn’t as much as he normally could do, but it would still pack a punch. He whispered a spell under his breath to add more ‘oomph,’ and sent it hurdling her way.

She had to dodge it, but in doing so it slammed into the wall right behind her and exploded, sending her flying forward. She seemed dazed, struggling to find her footing again.

Yaku turned his direction toward Kuroo and the third assailant, who were rolling around on the floor fighting. He ran over, and when the rokurokubi saw him coming they extended their neck at him in an attempt to sink their teeth into him.

Startled, Yaku yelped and slid on his legs across the floor. He kicked their body off of Kuroo and pulled him to his feet. Before Yaku had a chance to fire off more magic, the rokoruokubi was scurrying to the tattooed mage.

“Let’s just get out of here!” they shouted.

The tattooed mage had the astomi on her shoulder, and the three of them made a break for the exit heading back up to the street. Yaku rushed after them in pursuit, but was shoved hard to the ground by Kuroo.

“What the hell was that for?” Yaku hissed.

“Watch where you’re going!” Kuroo shouted back at him. 

Yaku looked to where Kuroo was pointing. Next to him on the floor was another trap spell drawn in chalk. A quick glance at the markings told him that this one would act like a bear trap. 

“Oh… Thanks.”

Kuroo reached out his hand and helped pull Yaku up to his feet. They were both cut up and bruised, but not terribly injured. Haruchan poked her head out of Yaku’s pocket and did her finest attempt at a terrifying growl. 

The bar, once again, was a mess. It had even more scorch marks than before, and the furniture that Yaku had fixed that morning were now damaged beyond repair too. 

“Well…” Yaku muttered. “It could have been worse?”   
Kuroo sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.    
“Yeah, actually, it could’ve. Those were just some low rate criminals, but I wasn’t expecting anyone to come for Haruchan so soon. And…”

“And if more people are already after her, who knows who they’ll send next.”

“I don’t care who comes,” Kuroo said firmly. “No one is touching my baby or my bar.”

Yaku wished he had that kind of conviction. He knew they couldn’t let the people who Haruchan escaped from get her back, but maybe there was someone else who could take care of her. Maybe even Bokuto would want to keep her.

He knew that would be impossible, however. Even if Kuroo hadn’t already become so smitten with her, he knew that handing her off was just putting that person in imminent danger.

Haruchan looked up at Yaku and chirped. He reached his hand down, extending his fingers out for her to rub her boney face on.

“What are we gonna do with you?” he asked her softly. “You’re causing a lot of trouble for me, ya know.”   
She cocked her head to the side at the accusation. Such an innocent creature, inciting so much violence and chaos. Perhaps it was just in her nature, that anywhere she went hell would follow. But looking into her fiery eyes, Yaku couldn’t fault her for it.

“What are we gonna do?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BABY HARUCHAN....... the reason this fic ended up being multi chapter. how could i get rid of her? she’s so cute. 
> 
> this was fun to write, and a pain in the ass lmao but i hope y’all enjoyed it!
> 
> kudos / comments are v much appreciated 💀🖤
> 
> i’m fakeanimeboi on twitter

**Author's Note:**

> come on now, you didn’t think i’d kill that thing did you?  
> i had so much fun writing this “one-shot” that i’ve decided it won’t actually be a one-shot. it’s rated t for now but....who knows~  
> you could probably listen to anything by caravan palace for that fight scene
> 
> thanks for reading!! ps comments are how i afford the kuroyaku rent in my head
> 
> [twitter](https://twitter.com/fakeanimeboi/)


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